To be fair
by ashibashi
Summary: Hermione was spending the summer between her fifth and sixth Hogwarts-year at 12 Grimmauld Place with the Order. However, after the full moon she finds out this summer isn't going to be all work and no play... Slightly AU, HGxRL. (My first fic, please R&R – be gentle!)
1. Chapter 1

The sweltering summer heat was too much for Hermione. Hogwarts never got this warm, even in the late summer when classes had barely started, and in her parents house, there was air-conditioning. Grimmauld Place had no such modern luxury, although you might think a house full of excellent wizards might have come up with a better solution than enchanted fans just blowing the warm air around.

Finally, she gave up her hopes of sleeing and walked down the stairs to the kitchen to have a glass of water. Reaching the kitchen counter, she didn't notice Professor Lupin sitting in the corner, having just come home from his monthly week away. She let the water run to get as cold as possible, and simultaniously kept her hands in the stream to cool off.

Remus, however, had noticed Hermione the moment she stepped inside the kitchen. The young witch was scarcely dressed in a thin, grey tank top and white cotton panties. He didn't want to say anything, but he also didn't want her noticing him sitting in the corner watching her. He set down his glass of scotch firmly enough that the sound caught Hermiones attention.

"Oh, Professor Lupin, I didn't see you. When did you get back?" Hermione asked.

"A little while ago." Remus answered, not looking her in the eyes. "Well... I'll see you in the morning." He said hastily, grabbing his glass and getting up from the chair. He gave her a hesitant smile beforre walking quite quickly to the kitchens side door.

Hermione, knowing that that particular door leads nowhere but to the study – which has no other exit – was confused by her professors hurried exit. She quietly followed him into the study only to find him in another chair by the studies dirty window, the glass of scotch now empty.

"Is everything alright, professor?" Hermione asked.

"Oh, it's fine, Hermione. I'm fine." Remus said and smiled, but the smile didn't reach his eyes.

"I can tell you're not being truthful, you had that look all through third year when no one knew about your condition." Hermione said and walked over to the arm chair and sat on the footstool in front of it.

"Was it something that happened during the full moon? If you're uncomfortable sharing, I understand, but you need to know that people are here for you and..." Remus tuned her talking out, watching her pick at her fingernails in a nervous way. She was getting a bit flushed, he could see her cheeks turning pink and his gaze rested on her lips, quietly articulating something – exactly what, he wasn't sure of.

"Professor, are you listening? If you don't want to accept my help, that's fine, but it's quite rude to just-" Remus couldn't help himself, Hermiones annoyance made her hazel eyes sparkle and her pink lips moved in a rapid pace that could only suggest she was about to start ranting, and he had to taste them.

Leaning forward, he lightly touched his lips to hers, just to see if they felt like he had imagined. They felt... shocked. Stiff. And in that moment the sleep-deprived Remus realized that, of course, this wasn't one of his daydreams and Hermione was a seventeen year old student of his. Well, ex-student, to be fair.

He yanked away from her, awaiting her response in horror and anticipation.

"-kiss me?" Hermione finished, startled and confused.

"What?" said Remus.

"No, I- what? What- WHAT was that?" Hermione stuttered a bit, her mouth not quite complying.

"I'm sorry! I'm so, so sorry!" Remus said, getting up from the armchair. What was he thinking? She was his STUDENT! (Ex-student. To be fair.) Only seventeen! (Almost eighteen. To be fair!)

"No, I mean-" Hermione said quietly, getting up as well. What just happened? Was he that drunk, that he thought she was someone else?

"I'm so sor-" Remus turned around, a little too quickly, and stumbled on his own feet, but regained his balance. "I'm sorry, Hermione. I shouldn't have done that." he said, walking up to her. He grabbed her wrists and looked her straight in the eyes. "I'm terribly, terribly sorry."

Hermione stared back at him. She had always thought him handsome, but in a professor kind of way. The way you can appreciate that someone has attractive features without actually being attracted to them. Or, so she thought. Maybe she just thought she wasn't attracted to him because he was just that – her professor. She shouldn't be attracted to him, at all. But then again, he certainly shouldn't be attracted to her either. And maybe he wasn't, maybe he was just drunk, maybe he thought she was someone else, maybe... She kissed him.

Partly because, hell, when would she ever have the chance to again? And if he was so drunk as to think she was someone different, maybe he wouldn't even remember.

Little did she know, Remus would remember that kiss for the rest of his life. Hermiones lips touching his with a curious force, her hands drawing his face closer to hers. Suddenly, his doubts were gone – at least for the moment – and he reciprocated with equal force of passion.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thank you all for the reviews and favourites, it warms my newbie heart! This chapter is a little shorter, but I felt I had to stop where I stopped. Hopefully I'll be able to write the next chapter quite soon, and I hope you like it! **

Hermiones fingers were nestled in Remus' hair and his hand where pulling her hips toward him. They kissed with a hunger, as though it was something they had needed without knowing it. As Remus' hand traveled from Hermiones' hips to her back, pulling her closer, the nagging feeling that what they were doing was wrong grew stronger. She moved her hands to his neck and shoulders, but he pulled away, touching her forehead with his.

"Hermione..." he whispered.

"Yes?" she breathed softly.

"This isn't... It's not right." he said, with his hands still stroking her back.

"It feels right, though." she answered.

"You're only seventeen. It's not even legal."

"Well, technically I'm not. Seventeen, that is." she smirked. Although Hermione was by all records and accounts seventeen, it wasn't quite as straight forward as that. True, it was mid july and her eighteenth birthday wouldn't take place until September, but she reminded Remus of something he hadn't taken into account.

"The time turner. I might officially be seventeen, but I basically lived my third year at Hogwarts twice, going backwards and forwards in time to make all my classes."

Remus looked at her hesitantly, and she continued. "Technically I've lived 18 years."

The whiskey-soaked thoughts in Remus' head tried to form coherent, analysing sentences, but what came out from between his lips was simply "Huh."

Hermiones fingers traced his neckline as he sat, confounded, staring at her bottom lip. He then leaned forward and caught it between his own, feeling it gently with his tongue. Slowly, as if exploring a new world, his tongue touched hers, and she returned with slightly more eagerness. Her upper lip was tickled by his moustache but her wanting was growing with every stolen breath and all she could focus on was the fantastic feeling of him so close to her.

Remus was more reserved in the kiss, although not at all withdrawn, but savouring every moment, every taste of her lips. His hands stroked her hips, cautiously letting his finger slip in beneath her tank top and feel the warm skin of her lower back. Hermione shuddered at his touch and gripped his neck tighter, wanting to get even closer. Remus slowly pushed her top upwards and let his thumbs feel the smooth skin of her stomach. Hermione then traced her hands down from Remus' neck and explored his chest, only to move along with her hands to his shoulder blades.

A loud thud sounded from upstairs and the pairs heated kissing stopped just as Remus' fingers reached Hermiones ribcage. The two looked at each other, both with warm faces and panicked stares in their eyes.

"Quick, you need to get to your room. I'll stay here, say I just got in. Go!" whispered Remus hurriedly.

Hermione took a deep breath and apparated to her room, whilst leaving Remus in the study to hear a loud pop from her apparition. He then walked in to the kitchen again and sat back in his chair, trying to calm his beating heart and waiting for the first witch or wizard to come walking through the kitchen doors.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Oh my, thank you all so much for the reviews and for following my little story. I know this is up sooo late, but I've had a rough couple of months and I just haven't had the time or the motivation. Hopefully I'm back on track now though! Enjoy. xx**

There weren't too many people in the murky house, most of the Order had other places to sleep and only stayed at Grimmauld Place when the Order had business to attend to. At the moment, there were only three more people occupying the rooms – Charlie Weasley, who had returned to England from Romania over the summer, but felt that he'd outgrown the Burrow, his siblings being slightly older then when he still lived at home. Besides, his room was taken over by Harry during the most part of the summer.

Bill and Fleur was staying at Grimmauld Place as well, they used it as a place to stay when they were in the city. Of course, Kingsley and Moody dropped by at odd hours, whenever it suited their schedule – however, they weren't here tonight, as far as Remus knew.

The loud thud he and Hermione had heard earlier turned out to be Charlie, falling from his bed.

"G'morning Lupin, welcome back to civilisation." he said as he walked in to the kitchen, spotting Remus – now somewhat calmer than just a few minutes ago.

"Good morning, Charlie. Sleep well?" He said, smirking.

"Yeah, I think I dreamt about taking down a Romanian Longhorn, and if I remember correctly I was doing a pretty good job of it as well!" Charlie grinned back.

"Sounded like it."

As Charlie put on a kettle of tea, Hermione walked in to the kitchen with a full bedhead and somewhat rosy cheeks.

"Mornin' sunshine! Looks like you had a rough night." said the freckly redhead. The pink shade of Hermiones cheeks grew a touch darker at this remark, and her eyes darted to Remus.

"I had a bad dream is all." She said, flustered. Charlie hadn't paid much attention to the awkwardness between the other two, he was more intrigued by the kettle whispering "getting hotter..." as the water started to simmer.

"Yeah, I know the feeling. Had one myself!"

"I heard. Fall off the bed again?"

"Sorry, did I wake you? I swear, I'm gonna start sleeping on the floor if these dreams don't stop, I'm bruised all over." He said, lifting up his shirt to show some discoloured patches of skin on his otherwise very toned abdomen. Hermione looked at the bruises but had a harder time looking away from the rippling muscles underneath them – which Remus noticed all too well.

"Erh- No, it was fine, I was already awake." Hermione answered.

"Really Hermione, at the books this early?"

Blushing again, Hermione glanced at Remus. "Yes, well, knowledge has no schedule..."

"It's summer, you're young, you should spend your early mornings hungover or just falling asleep! Live a little!"

"I'll keep that in mind, Charlie." Hermione said, trying not to grin.

The kettle screamed "HOT! TOO HOT!" and Charlie removed it from the stovetop and started pouring the boiled water into his mug of tea, missing the awkward glances between Hermione and Remus.

"So, what's on the schedule for today, 'Mione?" Charlie asked as he turned around.

"Oh, err, you know, the usual. I'll be reading a lot, catching up before school." She answered, evasively.

"Right. I'm sure you're very far behind, having not even started yet." Charlie laughed. "Well, you do you, Granger, but if you're up for a butterbeer later I'll be at The Leaky Cauldron tonight. Might do you some good." He smirked and left the kitchen, leaving Hermione looking a bit flushed.

Remus looked her over, well-aware of the impact the – much younger – wizard had on her. He tried not to sell himself short, after all she might be blushing for completely different reasons, having to do with what just went down in the study.

"Knowledge has no schedule...?" He smiled.

"Oh, shut up." Hermione said, smiling back.


End file.
